In recent years, there has developed the need for abrasion pads formed of artificial fibers in lieu of steel or metal fiber abrasion pads which resist wear, which are highly porous and which retain the pad shape during pad use.
Additionally, in the field of small size foot pads or mats such as bath mats, or strips of matting as walkways, there has developed the need for such mats which are capable of being easily handled yet resist wear and which permit ready cleaning and which are attractive to the view.
Attempts have been made to provide such pads and mats of non-woven fibers to meet this existing need. The problems, both in abrasion pads and in bath mats, door mats or strip matting for heavy traffic walkways, is that the non-woven fiber mats and pads have a tendency to be deformed during use and are of short life due to the requirements of porosity and retention of shape due to the short length of the individual fibers making up the non-woven elements. Further attempts have been made to partially embed the non-woven fiber mats or pads in a sheet of rubber, plastic or the like to provide a backing surface to maintain the non-woven fibers in place and to maintain the desired porosity. The composite structures to date have been disappointing in that the non-woven material tends to separate readily from the backing material, particularly under heavy use.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved porous non-woven fiber mat or pad in which the formed products have greater resistance to deformation and wear, particularly under heavy use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved composite non-woven fiber mat or pad in which the non-woven components are securely locked to the backing material.